Sliding hood



Dec. 28, 1937. H LANGE 2,103,372

SLIDING HOOD Filed Nov. 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E3 17 7 6 16 ZFzvenian Dec. 28, 1937,.

H. LAN GE SLIDING HOOD Filed Nov. 26, 1935 v rigidly connected. This Patented Dec. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES eATEi T OFFICE 'SLIDING H0015 Hermann Lange, Erlenbach, Switzerland Application November 26, 1935, Serial No. 51,656

2 Claims.

Sliding hoods are known in which hoops supporting the roofing are arranged, which are guided in guides along the roof aperture. The displacement of the end hoops can be effected by means of pull chains to which these hoops are rigid connection of the end hoops to the chains may, however, in the event of overstressing such as often occurs at "the extremities ofmovement, .lead to damage to the pulling mechanism and the bearing parts. Moreover, the rigid connection between the chains and end hoops makes fitting more difficult.

In constructions in which the chains and guiding elements are separate the appearance of the vehicle is impaired and separate projecting and easily deformable packing elements are necessary. In the case, of assembled constructions wherein the chains are situated directly in the guide elements the accessibility for overcoming breakdowns, lubricating the chains and the like is rendered more diflicult.

The present invention relates to a sliding hood by means of which these objections are overcome in a simple and reliable manner. This is attained by the fact that on longitudinal bars U-section guides and parallel to and at the same height as these bars the endless pull chains are arranged, the upper part of each pull chain being exposed at the top and situated between its guide and the middle of the end face of the hoops, whereas the lower parts of the chains are accommodated in guide channels provided in the bars and closed by inverted T-section irons arranged on the longitudinal sides-oi the roof aperture, which irons project above the upper chain part and serve for supporting and guiding the hoops, noses being provided on anchor-pieces on the end hoops which noses engage'from above at any desired point in the links of the chains.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings in which:" V

Fig. 1 shows the sliding hood in top plan view without covering material, and in the open position, the hoops being pushed together towards the middle of the hood.

Fig. 1a is a similar view showing the hood in closed position, the steel spring band being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the sliding hood in longitudinal section viewed from the front partly open.

Fig. 2a is a similar view showing the hood in closed position.

Fig. 3 shows in cross section a portion of the Between every two hoops 5 sliding hood within. the range of the front end hoop. i

Fig. 4 shows the front portion of the hood in longitudinal section on line I--I of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows the rear portion of the hood in longitudinal section on line II-II of Fig. 7 and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6.

The solid roof portion I has a rectangular aperture 2 adapted to be'covered by the sliding hood l0 and to becovered partly or almost completely by a shiftable hood portion. The shiftable hood consists, of a tarpaulin roof 3 and an inner lining 4 stretched over hoops 5 shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the roof and fixed on them so that the hoops are between cover and lining and fold the hood in upwardly projecting folds when the sliding hood is pushed together. the tarpaulin cover and the liningare connected the one with the 520 other by rods 6 (Fig. 2) which,.during the pushing together of the hood, move upwards together with the folds formed by the cover. The ends of the hoops 5 are slightly bent downwards and adapt themselves to the shape of the roof part I. 1 v

In order thatthe tarpaulin cover be folded into uniform upwardly directed folds, the ends of the hoops (Fig; 3) are connected on their lower sides by bands I with steel spring inserts, said bands being uniformly bulged upward together with the 30 tarpaulin cover during the pushing together of the hoops 5. Guide grooves 8 having inwardly bent edges serve to guide the hoops 5 and are fixed on the longitudinal bars 9 on the side edges of the rectangular aperture 2. Guide pieces I0 35 made of bend-leather fixed on the ends of the hoops 5 engage with these guide grooves 8. The side bars v9 have each a projection II on the upper side designed to prevent access of rain water to the guide grooves 8. This projection II is also provided on the transverse bars l2 of the solid roof part lat the front and rear edge of the aperture 2 so that this projection extends all round this aperture. The extreme hoop 5' at the front end and the extreme hoop 5" at the rear 45 end have each projecting rigid covering strips l3 (Figs. 1, 2, and 6) which same as the ends of the hoops 5, 5, 5 engage over the projection II and are slightly curved downwards so that they bear against the rigid roof part I. To ensure a good and absolutely tight bearing of these covering strips l3 on to the roof I the ends 8- of the guide grooves 8 (Figs. 4 and 5) are slightly curved downwards so that, when the extreme hoops 5', 5" respectively strike against the transverse bars that the covering strips against the solid roof I. For completing the hermetical closure an overlapping strip I4 (Figs. 4 to '7) is fixed on the transverse bars I2 and has a rubber insert I5. If the slidable hood is closed, the covering strips I3 are pressed against the rubber insert I5 and at the same time partly covered by the strips I4 so that even when the car travels rapidly no rain can penetrate under the hood.

For motor cars a mechanical actuating device for opening and closing the shiftable hood is arranged so that it can be actuated from the drivers seat. With this object in view the side bars 9 in the aperture have each in the inner side a longitudinal groove I6, I'I respectively in which on each side of the aperture 2 an endless chain I8 extends. Sprocket wheels I9, are arranged in a recess between the side bars I2 and the solid roof I. The endless chains I2 are stretched over these sprocket wheels. The front sprocket wheels .IQ'are' keyed each on one end of an axle 2| journalled in ball bearings 2.2 of a bracket 23 (Fig. 5). These brackets are fixed by means'of screws on the front transverse bar I2 and the solid roof portion I. The axle can be turned for instance by means of cranks and driving chain not shown in the drawings from the drivers seat so that the endless chains I8 are moved. The hoop 5' at the front end of the hood moves with the endless chains as it has at its ends anchoring pieces 24 which by a downwardly directed projection 25 engage in the :upper side of the endless chains I8. The rear extreme hoop 5" is not in engagement with the endless chains I8. This end hoop 5 can be shifted by hand if the slidable hood has to be opened from the rear to the front.

The rear sprocket wheels 20 are mounted in brackets 26 shiftable in the longitudinal direction inorder to permit a restretching of the endless chains I8. These brackets 26 are shiftably mounted on a plate 28 having longitudinal slots 21 and fixed on the lower side of the rear transverse bar I2 and on the roof part I above a recess. Screw bolts 29 at the foot of the bracket 25 extend downwards through these longitudinal slots 26. On the lower ends of the screw bolts underneath the plate 28 nuts 30 are screwed for securely mounting the brackets on the plate 28. For adjusting the brackets 26 screw spindles 32 one for each bracket are mounted in bearings '39 of the rear transverse bar I2, said spindles bearing against'the bracket '26 and having each a square end for a socket wrench. If the chains I8 have to be restretched the nuts 30 have to be loosened and the supports to be shifted by turning the screw spindle 32 by means of the socket wrench until the chains are well stretched.

Lubricating sleeves 33 are inserted into the brackets 26 and have each a piston 34 controlled I2, they are turned in such a manner I3 are pressed tightly by springs or adapted to be adjusted by hand for feeding lubricant or oil to the sprocket wheels 20 and to the chains I8.

The shiftable hood as described can be pushed from the drivers seat with the aid of the mechanical actuating device from the front end to the rear end or only partly so that the front portion of the rectangular aperture 2 is opened. If the shiftable hood is only partly opened, the rear portion of the hood may be pushed forward as far as desired. If the rear portion is partly pushed forward it is no longer necessary to actuate the shiftable hood by hand as the shiftable hood can first be pushed to the rear by means of the mechanical actuating device and then by actuating this mechanical device in opposite direction pulled to the front end so that it closes the aperture. The shiftable hood may be closed in a similar manner also if it has been pushed by hand completely towards the front end.

The rear extreme hoop 5" might be connected with the endless chains instead of the front extreme hoop so that in this case the shiftable hood must be opened in inverse direction, 1. e. from the rear to the front mechanically and also closed.

I claim:-

l. A sliding hood, comprising in combination hoops, longitudinal bars one on each side of said hoops and each having a guide channel on its inner side, U-section guides on the upper side of each of said bars, endless pull link chains mounted on each of said bars and extending parallel to said guides, the upper part of each chain being exposed on its upper side and situated at the same height as the adjacent guide and guided between thisguideand the middle of the end face of said hoops, and the lower part of each chain being accommodated in a guide channel in its bar, inverted T-section irons arranged one on the inner side of each of said bars, the upright arms of said irons forming the outer wall of said guide channels and extending above the upper chain .part and the inwardly projecting horizontal arm T-section forming a supporting guide for said hoops, and anchor pieces at the ends of one of the end hoops loosely engaging from above in the upper part of said chains at any desired link.

2. In a vehicle top formed with an opening, longitudinal members disposed said opening, each of said members being formed with a channel open at the top, an endless link chain disposed in each of said channels, the upper side of each chain being exposed through the open top of the channel, a plurality of transverse bows extending across said opening and slidably supported at their ends, flexible cover ing material secured to said bows, and means secured to one of the end bows and extending downwardly into links of said chains for releasably engaging said chains.

HERMANN LANGE.

at each side of 

